A Fathers Bonds
by LesxMisxLuverx10
Summary: DISCONTINUED! ! 'A daughter is a day brightener and a heart warmer.' Multiple pairings, OCOC, DISCONTINUED: PLEASE PROCEED TO THE REMAKE OF THIS STORY KNOWN AS: The Gaurdian!
1. My Little Girl

**A/N: hello humans…the lovely LML10 –formerly known SuzukiO.o- has returned! Aha! –clears throat- any who…I present to you the re-write of A Fathers Bonds! Please enjoy and review fer crying out loud! It wouldn't hurt to get a few words of encouragement from the audience! Plus it will boom this poor writer's self-esteem XD. Anyway enjoy! (P.S: for a full examination of this story and the series, go to my profile!)**

**-O-**

_**A Fathers Bonds**_

_**Chapter one: My Little Girl**_

'_**I remember I thought you looked like an angel **_

_**Wrapped in pink, so soft and warm**_

_**You've had me wrapped around your finger**_

_**Since the day you were born…'**_

_**-Tim McGraw**_

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><p>There had to be no level of guilt that topped the kind that was clenching his gut and pulling at his heart. He tried to tell himself that this was life; this was how Mother Nature worked. He was a man, and the pink-haired kunoichi crying in agony in his arms was a woman. But she wasn't just any woman, she was his wife dammit! Yet here they were, in a hospital room, she propped up against his shoulder as he held her up. His hand held hers as she nearly clung to him with the pain surging through her body like a storm. She was in unbelievable pain, and it wasn't the first time he caused her nearly unbearable pain. His gut wrenched as she cried and moaned in agony, her limbs trembling as her chin touched her chest before she threw her head back against his shoulder. Her eyes were shut tight and her forehead was covered in sheen of sweat as she panted.<p>

Her eyes opened slightly to reveal green pools clouded with pain, "S-asuke-kun…" she whimpered, her hand squeezing his.

He kissed her damp forehead, "I'm here Sakura." He whispered.

"Just one more push Sakura." The honey eyed medic said, urging her apprentice to continue.

Sakura nodded before raising her head shakily, her husband noticed her struggle and sat up a bit straighter so she could rest against his chest while being propped up properly. His clenched heart pounded in his ears as she took a deep breath and bore down, her mouth opening in a silent cry.

This was it. He was going to be a father, and he was solidly reminded when she let out a final cry of pain and fell back against his should. Her pants of breath were covered by a shrill cry and an announcement.

"It's a girl!" Tsunade declared and Sasuke's head snapped up just in time to see her hold up the newborn to her parents.

Time slowed considerably once he laid eyes on the infant. She was nothing at all what he imagined she would look like. She was slimy-coated in blood and God-knows-what, her dark hair mated at the top of her head and so…small. Despite all that, he thought she was…beautiful.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura panted, and Sasuke met her eyes again.

She also looked so beautiful to him, even though her petal pink locks stuck to her face-which was damp with sweat. Her green eyes were clouded by exhaustion as she panted for breath. He opened his mouth to say something but found that he couldn't say anything at all. He was at a loss for words and all he could do was meet his wife's eyes, hoping she could see what he longed to say.

She smiled at him warmly, "I love you too, Sasuke-kun." She whispered.

Sasuke closed his eyes, taking a deep breath as the guilt left him and he leaned forward to kiss her forehead and then her lips. Her hand released his to touch his cheek and her smile widened when he pulled back.

"You're crying…" she whispered.

He straightened, slightly taken aback before touching his own cheek. She was right, his cheek was damp and it was then he recognized the all too familiar sting in his eyes that tears brought. He laughed, not out of humor, but of the shock, the irony.

For the first time ever, she had made_ him_ cry.

Their moment was interrupted when Tsunade cleared her throat. Both their heads snapped over to see Tsunade holding a small pink bundle in her arms. "Would you two like to meet the newest Uchiha?" she asked.

His surname ringed in his ears as the word 'new' accompanied it. He swore he felt another single tear fall as his chest swelled with pride. He did it. His clan was now restored.

Sakura reached her arms out eagerly as Tsunade walked over to place their daughter in her mother's arms. "Ohh Sasuke-kun, she's so beautiful." She cooed.

Sasuke smirked as he rested his chin on her shoulder to get a better look at his daughter. She looked a lot more like he imagined now, her skin was a healthy pink and the dark hair she bore stood straight up and had a purple hue to it. He found himself smirking at her hairstyle and both he and Sakura leaned forward to peer into her opening eyes. Sakura gasped slightly as dark hazel irises met her green ones.

"Wow." Sasuke whispered inaudibly as he also surveyed her unique colored eyes.

"She's definitely special, what with the hair and eyes, but beautiful nonetheless." Tsunade said as she watched the couple gape over their daughter.

"How…?"Sakura questioned as she looked to her teacher.

Tsunade shrugged, "The wonders of genetics, it must be from your dominant green eyes and the Uchiha's charcoal grey." She answered.

Sakura smirked before turning her attention back to her daughter, "Hello beautiful, I'm mommy, and this-" she motioned to Sasuke, "Is daddy."

Sasuke's heart skipped a beat when his daughter's hazel eyes turned to look at him with cross eyes. "W-Why is she looking at me like that?" he asked.

Sakura giggled, "Her eyes are still adjusting Sasuke-kun."

He nodded before reaching a hesitant hand to touch her delicate cheek, "She's so….small." he whispered.

"She needs a name." Tsunade pressed.

Sasuke thought for moment as he continued to observe his daughters features. She was without a doubt breathtaking, and he added mental note to start carrying more kunai with him from now on, but she also bore a slight resemblance to his mother. Upon remembering her, a name popped into his mind.

"Suzuki. Suzuki Mikoto Uchiha." He announced.

Sakura looked up to him, "Suzuki?" she asked.

"Isn't that traditionally a last name?" Tsunade questioned.

"There's nothing traditional about her. My mother always loved that name, and she always wanted a daughter to name." Sasuke answered softly.

Sakura smiled warmly and turned back to her daughter, "Suzuki…what a unique name for a unique soul." She whispered.

Tsunade found that she couldn't agree more.

* * *

><p>It was later that night that Sasuke's fatherly-instinct kicked in for the first time. At the first indication of a whimper his eyes snapped open and he was at the hospital carriage before Suzuki could even open her mouth to cry. His hands were already carefully and amaturely lifting his daughter into his arms, cautiously placing her in the crook of his elbow the way Sakura had showed him. He rocked her gently as he noticed her lower lip trembling and tears gathering at her eyes.<p>

"Shhh, don't cry little one, father is here." He reassured soothingly as he began walking towards the window.

The newborn calmed slightly and looked towards her father with her distinctive eyes, "Captivating." He whispered.

Suzuki just stuck out her tongue before yawning and he chuckled, "You aren't the only one exhausted. Your mother over there struggled with you." He said, motioning to the sleeping Sakura.

Suzuki blinked, "I know you don't understand me, but hopefully someday you will. Just like your mother." He whispered.

The newborn opened her mouth and let out a breath, Sasuke found his heart melting, "I suppose that is what you consider a laugh." He chuckled.

He sighed as he expertly pulled a chair by its leg to the window, too hesitant to release his arm holding his daughter. He just learned how to hold a baby, and he wasn't about to try and hold her with just one arm yet. Seating himself on the chair he looked down to meet Suzuki's curious hazel eyes.

"Hn. You're not hungry or anything, you just wanted to be held huh?" he questioned.

Suzuki stuck her tongue out again and let out a content sigh. Sasuke smirked and place his hand gently on her head, playing with the ends of her hair which illuminated under the moonlight, the purple hue more noticeable than ever. "You are something, you know that. But despite that you're my little girl." He whispered, before leaning forward to place a kiss on her delicate forehead.

"Just don't tell anyone. It'll be our little secret." He whispered, barely audible.

But little did he realize he was audible enough for his medically trained kunoichi to hear every word he said. He wasn't the only one with parental instincts, but she was glad to have her husband spring forward to care for the baby, seeing as she was nearly paralyzed from the waist down due to the after affects of the epidural and trauma of giving birth. So she stayed asleep, kind of, as her husband chatted away with their daughter.

Suzuki already had that man wrapped around her little finger. Like mother, like daughter

**A/N: Alrighty so that was relatively short but I enjoyed writing it! More to come (if I get plenty of hits AND reviews!) so Review away! **

**LML10~**


	2. Hime

**A/N: Hello readers! Thank you for the marvelous reviews and a special shout out to my friend StoicWolf789 who is a faithful reader and also friend of mine in the real world! She has been endlessly pushing me to keep writing no matter what! (She has even used violence…ha-ha) And also a special shout out to ANOTHER faithful reader named Whispering-Willow08, and also my editor! Without her the clean and polished version of this chapter wouldn't be here!**

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><p><strong>-O-<strong>

_**A Fathers Bonds**_

_**Chapter two: Hime**_

'_**Fathers, like mothers, are not born.**_

_**Men grow into fathers and fathering is**_

_**A very important stage in their**_

_**Development.'**_

_**-David Gottesman**_

Beautiful.

She was just so beautiful.

As he sat in the rocking chair in his daughter's nursery, Suzuki swaddled in a lilac blanket and snuggled in his strong arms, Sasuke found himself marveling over his daughter's beauty. Without realizing his wife was leaning against the doorframe of the room, he carefully repositioned Suzuki to lay across his long arms with his calloused hands cradling her small head. Slowly he leaned forward and rested his forehead on Suzuki's. Sakura smiled warmly as she watched her husband bond with their daughter, this time he wasn't using words, only touch. Almost three weeks had passed since Suzuki's birth and already Sasuke was completely devoted to Suzuki. Granted the first week was more of a reality check for the Uchiha than anything else, he was beginning to get into the swing of parenthood. Especially with her help and even her mother's help, who was staying with them for the first month to help the couple.

If it wasn't for the heart warming moment she was witnessing between father and daughter, Sakura would've chuckled at the memory of the Uchiha male learning how to change a diaper. If he didn't already love Suzuki so much, he would have been completely disgusted with the fact that an infant so small could produce so much….well a rather large diaper. But as it was, Sasuke had no choice but to grin and bear it, besides there were situations worse than that of changing a newborns diaper that he had been in.

"Sakura dear?"

The gentle voice broke the pink haired kunoichi from her thoughts; she turned her head to see her mother walking down the hallway. She brought a finger up to her lips and motioned her mother to look in the nursery. The older Haruno woman smiled as she saw Sasuke leaning over his daughter, a ghost of a smile on his lips as Suzuki's hazel eyes met his and a smile of her own appeared on her features.

"I know you're watching me Sakura, Kanna-sama." Sasuke said, his eyes staying on Suzuki.

Sakura giggled, pushing herself off the wall,she walked over to his side, placing a hand on his bare shoulder she played with a lock of his hair as he continued to be mesmerized by Suzuki. The newborn looked up at her mother trying to adjust her eyes.

"She does look a great deal like Mikoto Uchiha." The elder Haruno woman said, causing Sasuke to gain her attention.

"She does, doesn't she?" Sasuke mumbled, his eyes growing soft as he recollected the memory of his mother.

He smirked when Suzuki made an attempt to grab a lock of his hair, probably because she saw her mother twirling his raven hair in between her fingers. He leaned forward just enough so she could touch his hair. Her hazel eyes concentrated on the strand and her brows furrowed as she attempted to grasp it with her tiny fingers.

"Why is she struggling to grab my hair?" he asked, concern laced in his tone.

Sakura chuckled, "Because she still doesn't know how to work her hands Sasuke-kun. She's only three weeks old, she really has no control over her bodily functions yet." She replied, leaning over to drape an arm over his broad shoulders.

"She smiled at me earlier..." he whispered, peering into her round eyes.

"She'll do that as a reflex until she can properly express happiness." Sakura explained.

"Hn." Sasuke straightened his shoulders and stood up, motioning his wife to take his place in the rocking chair. She smiled and with his help she sat in the chair, and he didn't hesitate to place Suzuki in her arms.

Sakura still wasn't as mobile as she hoped she would've been since she gave birth. She was able to walk around the house just fine, but not for too long. Childbirth had taken a toll on her body, especially since she wasn't even expected to get pregnant, let alone give birth.

"Look at you two," the elder Haruno woman said aloud, a hand pressed on her cheek as she observed the Uchiha couple, "Just last year ago I was afraid that I would never be able to see you two as parents. Now here you are with this precious little angel in your arms."

Sakura smiled warmly, "You're right mom, a year ago I never thought I would be holding this little girl in my arms."

Sasuke's lips twitched into a smile for a moment as he recalled the past year. They were only married a year when Sakura got pregnant for the first time, but due to an ANBU mission they were both on she never discovered she was expecting and when their group went under ambush, she had met up with some rouge ninja's who had caused her to have a miscarriage. At such a young age Sakura was told that her chances of conceiving again were low. The news had hurt the couple greatly, but Sasuke had swallowed his pride and decided that if he had to die along with his clan then he would. His love for the kunoichi was too great to just dump her off and marry another woman who could bear his children. But now, a year later they had Suzuki. She was their only daughter, the only child they could have, the only chance at a family Sasuke had, the only chance to purify the Uchiha name. She was their miracle.

"Ano…Suzuki is our princess, Sasuke-kun." Sakura whispered, looking up at her husband.

Sasuke smirked, "Suzuki-hime…" he whispered. It did fit well. Suzuki Uchiha, princess of the Uchiha Clan. If that didn't sound intimidating once she became a kunoichi, he didn't think much else would. Besides he liked the thought of being the king.

* * *

><p>Tsunade sighed as she heard another knock at her office door, if that stupid blonde Naruto or that lazy pervert Kakashi didn't leave her alone with Hokage work she was going to murder one of them.<p>

"Come in!" She ordered, raising a glass of sake up to her lips for a quick sip.

She groaned when she saw Kakashi, "What is it now Kakashi?" she asked.

The silver haired Hokage smirked, knowing the retiring godaime was growing tired of his presence every five minutes, especially now with Naruto in Hokage training, the Council was keeping the both of them busy with getting the blonde ready to take his place as Hokage.

"Nothing really, just came to drop off some reports, and to ask you something." He replied, sitting on the arm of the chair before her desk.

"What is it?" she asked, pouring herself another glass of sake.

"Have the elders come to talk to you yet about the new Uchiha's arrival?" he asked, his eyebrows slightly furrowing as he brought up his two former students.

Tsunade raised a brow, "That 'new Uchiha's' name is Suzuki." She warned, not exactly liking how the silver haired man was referring to the infant as a topic of gossip.

"Suzuki, sorry, you wouldn't have happened to have heard anything from the elders have you?" Kakashi corrected.

"No…why?" Tsunade asked.

"I overheard them talking about her today, just a little bit."

"Well what did they say?"

Kakashi hesitated a bit, "They weren't exactly speaking in praise that the Uchiha Clan has otherwise been restored. They sounded like they were trying to make plans."

"What kind of plans?" Tsunade asked suspiciously.

Kakashi shrugged, "I'm not sure."

* * *

><p>Sasuke sighed as he sat on the porch, cross legged, with a cup of tea in his hands. The sun was setting on Konoha and Suzuki was already fast asleep with Sakura as well. During times like these, when Sakura napped with their daughter, Sasuke sat on his porch with a hot cup of jasmine tea to relax. He looked up at the blood-orange sky and a ghost of a smile appeared on his lips as a gentle breeze blew through his hair. He closed his eyes in a silent prayer of thanks to God, who gave him this life, gave him his wife and daughter. Given all the pain and darkness that he suffered when he was a teenager, he was able to grow into a man with a family, something he always wanted.<p>

"Sasuke dear?" Kanna Haruno's voice interrupted his thoughts and he opened his eyes to meet the older woman's gaze.

"Hello Kanna-sama." He greeted, motioning her to join him.

Kanna smiled and sat on her knees next to her son-in-law, "What's on your mind Sasuke, dear?" she asked, running a hand through her platinum blonde hair.

"Hn." Sasuke grunted with a smirk before taking a sip from his cup.

Kanna chuckled, "Sakura always did say you were a hard shell to crack, especially in conversation. I guess you like to reserve your words for her don't you?"

Sasuke smirked, "And Suzuki."

Kanna smiled, "Yes and her too now. You know, when Sakura told me that Tsunade said she couldn't have any children; I was worried for you two." She started, looking towards the sky that was growing darker by the minute.

Sasuke raised a brow, "Why?"

The Haruno woman sighed, "Because my husband had convinced me that the only reason you wanted to marry Sakura was so she could have your children. He was waiting for the day you threw Sakura out of the Uchiha estate, but every day you proved Hideki wrong. Every day you stayed married to my daughter, loved her, you proved to me just how worthy you were of her." She explained warmly, smiling at the Uchiha man.

Sasuke blinked. He didn't know Kanna very well, but her words made him happy. When he first married Sakura, Kanna and her husband, Hideki, were very disapproving of him because of all the pain he caused their daughter when she was a teenager, but despite what they thought the couple stayed together and faced all their challenges while still being in love. He was glad that Kanna had finally accepted him, because since his return to Konoha and his marriage to Sakura, not everyone in the Village was as accepting as she, Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi were. All the villagers saw him as a threat to Sakura, and to many they saw their marriage as only Sasuke's selfish desire to restore the Uchiha Clan. While some thought that, others still mistrusted him when it came to the safety of the village given his history of wanting to destroy Konoha. Overall the villagers were ignorant to his life, but the people who were involved like Kanna knew better. They knew Sasuke's loyalty, they knew the struggles, and they especially knew how much his new family meant to him now.

"Thank you Kanna-sama." Sasuke mumbled.

Kanna smiled and rested a hand on his, which was resting on his knee, "As long as you keep my Sakura-chan happy Sasuke, you are a special man in my life. Right along with my own husband. Despite his rough exterior, in a way you two are alike in that personality trait." She said.

Sasuke scoffed and smirked at the mention of being compared to Sakura's father. The man was very tall and had the brightest shade of crimson red hair. Any other man would've cowered in his presence, but Sasuke was an Uchiha after all, so as intimidating as Hideki Haruno was, Sasuke stood his ground when he met the man. Plus the man's emerald green eyes bore a striking resemblance to his wife's.

"You may laugh Sasuke, dear, but trust me, soon you and Hideki will have plenty to talk about when it comes to your daughter." Kanna remarked with a smirk of her own.

Sasuke raised a brow, but figured that the Haruno woman was right. Sakura was Hideki's only daughter, just as Suzuki was for him. She had only been on this earth for three weeks and Sasuke was already more than overprotective of her, a trait he knew Hideki had over Sakura. With that in mind he wondered how his father-in-law even allowed the woman to marry him, because as of now the thought of a raven haired, hazel eyed, woman in a wedding dress made him cringe.

Kanna's chuckle brought him out of his train of thought, "Don't worry Sasuke, dear, it'll be years before you have to worry about marrying off the little one." She remarked.

Sasuke blinked, "How did you…?"

"Trust me son, I've seen that look before."

"What look?"

"The 'my-daughter-isn't-going-to-marry-any-boy' look you just had for the first time."

Sasuke smirked and looked back towards the sky, which was now almost completely darkened and glistening with stars, and just as he took another sip of his tea he heard his daughter crying. He smiled quickly and then got to his feet. Fatherhood was calling.

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><p><strong>AN: Ahhh this was pleasantly long! Yay! Hope you enjoyed! Thanks again to my editor Whispering-Willow 08! REVIEW PLEASE! :D**

**LML10**


	3. Baby Talk

**A/N: Whaaaaat? Hardly any reviews? WHAT IS THIS BLACK MAGIC YOU READERS HAVE BESTOWED UPON ME! –StoicWolf789 proceeds to hit LML10 very hard on the head- SW789: JUST GET ON WITH THE STORY! LML10: TT^TT okay FINE! **

**-O-**

_**A Fathers Bonds**_

_**Chapter three: Baby Talk**_

'_**A daughter is a day brightener and a heart warmer.'**_

_**-unknown**_

_**-O-**_

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><p>"Dada."<p>

"Kaka…."

"No, Suzuki, dada."

"Kaka…"

Sasuke sighed heavily, defeated. The eight-month-old Suzuki grinned and giggled at her father's frustration. He smirked and ran a hand through his raven mane before poking Suzuki's nose with his index finger. The infant giggled delightfully, raised her hand, and slapped Sasuke's nose openhanded. He winced playfully and reached out to pick her up from her highchair.

Just as he straightened with Suzuki securely in his arms, he heard his wife chuckling behind her, "Looks like Mama is going down as her first word." Sakura mocked.

"She never said Mama, she said…kaka..." He corrected, somewhat crushed

Sakura raised a brow and walked over to her husband, "We'll see about that, say Mama Suzuki-hime." She cooed as she cupped her daughter's cherub cheeks.

"Kaka…" Suzuki repeated.

"Mama."

"Kakaa…"

Sakura grunted while Sasuke smirked triumphantly, "That's right Suzuki-hime; you want to say Dada first don't you?"

Suzuki looked up at him, her round hazel eyes brightening, and smiled at him. It was her trademark smile that she reserved just for him, and every time she did so his heart fluttered.

Sakura glared at her husband, "Traitor." She muttered and stuck out her tongue, reaching her arms to take her daughter.

Sasuke only chuckled and followed his wife as she began walking away from him, "It's not my fault she doesn't want to say it." He defended.

"Humph, yes it is. You spend all day with her while I'm at the hospital, and you spoil her rotten." Sakura muttered and she made her way to Suzuki's bedroom.

"And you don't?"

"….well you do more."

Sakura yelped slightly when Sasuke suddenly appeared at the doorframe of Suzuki's bedroom before him and his speed, she thought. Suzuki grinned and giggled as Sasuke then pulled his wife closer to him by the waist.

"Sakura Uchiha, do I sense a hint of jealousy?" he challenged as his face inched towards hers.

Sakura blushed. "I am not jealous of you!" she replied stubbornly, pushing on his chest and walking into the bedroom.

Suzuki giggled while Sasuke chuckled at Sakura's reaction. Once Sakura placed Suzuki down in her crib, Sasuke placed his hands on his wife's hips, his nose running alongside her neck.

"Sakura…."he whispered.

His wife sighed heavily, "Okay fine. I am a little jealous, but it's only because I wish I was home more." She admitted, turning around to face him.

"Then why don't you minimize your hours at the hospital? I doubt that Tsunade would mind." he suggested.

"It's not that easy for me Sasuke. You're an ANBU so you can take a leave as long as they don't need you."

"Exactly, which means they could call for me at any time during the day."

Sakura took a minute to digest what he said, "That's true…I guess I should talk to Tsunade, but she's getting older. Soon she won't have as much energy to take over for me; she already has Naruto and Kakashi taking over the Hokage position."

"Sak I doubt a few hours at home will take that much out of her."

Sakura smiled, "You're right, I'm sorry, I'm just so used to my job." She replied.

Sasuke smirked and looked over at Suzuki, who had pulled herself into a standing position by holding onto the bars of the crib, "Well now we have a new job." He said as he motioned towards Suzuki.

Sakura turned around and gasped, "Oh my God! She's standing!" she cried and clapped for her daughter.

Suzuki laughed aloud before slightly losing her balance and falling on her bottom. She froze for a few seconds, seeming as if she was deciding to cry or laugh, but her eyes flashed in determination and she leaned forward and grabbed the bars again. Pulling herself to her feet and leaning against the bars and laughed in triumph. Sakura clapped and picked up her daughter, showering the infant with praise, while Sasuke placed his hand on the crown of her head and beamed at her with pride.

"That's my girl."

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><p><strong>-O-<strong>

Sasuke sighed contentedly as he supported his head with his hand, his cheek pressed against his calloused skin as he watched his daughter's chest rise and fall gently with each breath she took. He enjoyed this view of her. Her long raven lashes curled against her rosy-cheeks, her shell pink lips were parted slightly and her tiny plump fingers were curled into fists on either side of her head. Her violet-hued raven hair formed a dark halo around her head and he watched in utter fascination as her eyes moved vividly underneath her lids. She was dreaming, he mused, and he smirked before leaning over to place a kiss on her forehead. Her nose wrinkled when his bangs tickled her face, and his heart nearly skipped a beat when she sighed lightheartedly and turned her head the other way.

Sasuke's eyes widened in shock as a sudden thought crossed his mind, nearly causing him to jump back. As his obsidian eyes observed this beautiful, angelic, child lying on the bed next to him, Sasuke realized that he was a father. Of course he knew that he had been for the past eight months, but it seemed that now, for the first time, it was real to him. The little girl lying next to him was _his_. She was his _blood_. She was his _heir_. She was his_ family_. He suddenly felt tears burning at the back of his eyes and he chuckled at himself for being this emotional, but he smirked when he realized that now eight months later, he was falling in love with his daughter all over again.

"Sasuke-kun?"

The sound of his wife's soft voice broke his train of thought as he looked up at her, "Hn?"

"Naruto's here, with Hinata and the kids." She replied with a smile as she cast a glance at her daughter, who was sleeping soundly.

He sighed, placing another kiss on the infant's forehead, before lifting himself off the bed. He placed a couple pillows around his daughter, making sure that if she turned over she wouldn't fall off the bed, and quietly stepped out of the bedroom with Sakura following behind him. He could hear the dobe's voice resounding throughout the house, and he was grateful that Suzuki had already grown accustomed to the blonde's loud voice. Naruto visited quiet often and brought his own children, Hiro –who was nearly two years old- and Yuriko –who was Suzuki's age. - The three children had become fast friends, which Sasuke figured came naturally since he and Naruto were practically brothers now.

"Hey teme!" Naruto cheered when Sasuke and Sakura finally arrived in the room.

"Naruto keep your voice down, Suzuki's asleep!" Sakura warned.

"Ano, sorry Sakura-chan." Hinata apologized before throwing her husband a disapproving look.

Naruto chuckled and scratched the back of his head while Sasuke shook his head.

"Suski?" Hiro repeated curiously, looking up at his father with pale blue eyes.

Hiro and Yuriko were unique combination of their parents, both of them had Naruto's bright blonde hair and their eyes were the palest shade of blue. Their eyes stayed true to the Hyuuga's trademark pale, but still managed to inherit the blue from Naruto's eyes. It was like Suzuki's hazel eyes, they were a mix of Sasuke's dark obsidian and Sakura's bright green.

"She's asleep Hiro-chan, but I can play with you." Sakura offered sweetly as she kneeled before the infant.

His eyes brightened and he clapped his hands cheerfully, "Sak-chan, Sak-chan!" he cheered.

Sakura giggled and picked up the small boy, "How about mommy and I take you to the kitchen, and you can help make lunch for daddy and uncle Sasuke?" she stated.

Hinata smiled and stood, "That sounds like a great idea, right Hiro-chan?" she asked.

The boy clapped his hands in agreement, and the three left to go to the kitchen, "Sasuke just grab Suzuki if she starts crying!" Sakura called out.

"Hn." Sasuke acknowledged before smirking when Yuriko came towards him crawling.

The blonde-haired infant giggled when Sasuke picked her up, pulling on a lock of his bangs roughly, he winced slightly at her strength. "She certainly has your strength dobe," he commented.

Naruto laughed before taking his daughter from the Uchiha, "Sorry teme, she's been doing that a lot lately. Oh! Yuri-chan, say Dada!"

"Dada!" the infant exclaimed as she smiled at her father.

Naruto grinned, "Isn't that great teme? I'm so proud of her! Hiro's first word was Mama, but I was determined to have Yuriko say Dada first! How about Suzuki, has she said Dada yet?"

"Hn." Sasuke grunted, glaring at the blonde man through narrow eyes.

"Eh! What did I do!"

Sasuke continued to glare at him, then Naruto grinned, "She hasn't has she?" he teased.

"Shut up**,** dobe."

"Hey it's not my fault she said Mama first!" Naruto laughed.

"She didn't though."

"No, then what has she said?"

Sasuke was about to answer, but before he had a chance his ears picked up on the sound of Suzuki fussing. Getting up to his feet, Naruto raised a brow as the Uchiha walked briskly out of the room. A moment later the dark-haired man reappeared with Suzuki in his arms rubbing her eyes.

"Hi Suzuki-chan!" Naruto greeted happily as Sasuke placed the infant on the rug next to Yuriko.

The two girls smiled at each other and both began to babble as they chewed and played with their toys. Both men watched their daughter with fond eyes and barely noticed when their former silver-haired sensei walking in.

"You know teme; I never thought we would be here, as fathers watching over our daughters," Naruto said aloud "When I was sixteen I never pictured it, I had just found out the truth behind my mother and father, and I was preoccupied with bringing you back."

Sasuke turned to look at the blonde, who had a sentimental look in his cerulean eyes as he smiled**. **"We were young Naruto, and we were both obsessed with our goals. Why would two sixteen year-olds, one hell-bent on revenge and the other trying to get that crazy one back, think about having children?" he mused.

Kakashi, who still hadn't been noticed by his former students, smirked and leaned against the doorframe of the living room.

Naruto chuckled, "I guess you're right, but you weren't crazy Sasuke, just…lost."

"Tch, I know who I was Naruto and I'm not proud of it." Sasuke said, turning his attention back to his daughter, "You know I want nothing but the best for Suzuki, but thanks to my reputation who knows what kind of life she'll have in this village because of me." He mumbled.

Naruto placed a hand on Sasuke's shoulder. "Sasuke you're a changed man, we all know that, and screw those who don't. Suzuki will love you for the man you are now, for the father she knows," he comforted.

Sasuke sighed, "Promise me something Naruto."

"Sure."

"Promise me that you won't tell Suzuki about my past, I don't ever want her to know."

Naruto tensed, "It has never been my place to tell your business, and it never will be, but in all honesty you should tell Suzuki the truth one day."

'He's right,' Kakashi thought to himself, but narrowed his eyes at the thought that crossed his thoughts, 'If he's going to keep secrets like that from his daughter, he isn't going to want to tell her what I came to talk to him about…' The man was interrupted from his thoughts when Sasuke spoke up again.

"I don't want Suzuki to be ashamed of me, of who I was, that's why I can't tell her," he revealed as his obsidian eyes surveyed his daughter as she crawled over to him.

With a saddened smile he picked her up and buried his nose in her hair, inhaling her delicate scent. The thought of his daughter looking at him in shame tugged on his heart. He never wanted to see her look at him with disgrace.

"She's the only blood I have left, and I don't need her to abandon me out of humiliation," he said inaudibly before placing a chaste kiss on Suzuki's cheek.

The infant giggled as her cheeks glew a bright pink; she tugged on his bangs forcing her father to face her. Sasuke smirked as he turned to face his daughter, who placed a hand on his nose and said, "Dada" gently.

Sasuke's eyes widened as he heard her say her first word and he beamed with pride**.** "Atta girl Suzuki-chan! Way to make your old man happy!" Naruto cheered, picking up his own daughter.

Sasuke quirked an eye at the blonde."I'm not old," he growled.

"Well, well, look at you two then." Kakashi stated as Naruto chuckled.

Both men turned abruptly to look at Kakashi, who was leaning against the doorframe of the living room**.** "Never thought I'd live to see the day when you two turned mesmerized eyes towards children, daughters at that," he said, crossing his arms over his chest in pride.

"Hn."

"Heh!" Both men smirked and got to their feet, each placing their daughters on their sides.

Yuriko and Suzuki giggled and each took a lock of their father's hair and tugged on it rather forcefully, causing Sasuke and Naruto to both wince and bow their heads in the same direction their daughter had pulled; that action led to both of them bumping heads.

"Ow!" They both winced as the infants giggled again.

Kakashi laughed aloud. "Smart girls, looks like I won't need to teach them any tricks to play on you two!"

They both glared as they massaged the sore spots on their heads**.** "Why don't you just tell me what it is you came to my house for Kakashi," Sasuke stated, repositioning Suzuki on his side.

"Come on Sasuke, I would've thought Suzuki lightened you up a little bit." Kakashi teased.

"Hn."

"Gwannpa!" Hiro exclaimed, nearly running to the silver haired man, Hinata and Sakura following in behind him.

"Hello Hiro," Kakashi greeted as he picked up the toddler.

"Hey Kakashi, when did you get here?" Sakura asked as she greeted her former sensei.

Before Kakashi had a chance to reply, all eyes landed on Suzuki when she cried out, "Kaka!" cheerfully.

"Kaka?" the former team seven asked in unison.

Suzuki continued to grin and giggle as she mumbled repeatedly, "Kaka, Dada, Kaka, Dada!"

"She said Dada!" Sakura exclaimed.

"I win," Sasuke proclaimed.

"Actually Sasuke, hate to disappoint you but I believe she said Kaka first**,**" Kakashi corrected.

"…Hn…"

"So who wants lunch?"

* * *

><p><strong>-O-<strong>

"There's something I wanted to talk to you guys about," Kakashi saidas Sakura and Hinata began to clear the lunch dishes from the table.

"Oh?" Sakura said at the same time Sasuke asked, "What is it?"

"Oh, do you need us to go?" Hinata asked, concerned.

Kakashi held up a hand. "No no, actually Naruto since you'll be taking my place as Hokage soon, this matter actually concerns you as well," he replied.

Hinata and Naruto exchanged looks as well as Sasuke and Sakura. "Um, why don't Hinata and I put the babies down for naps and then we can all sit down and talk about it," Sakura suggested, pulling Suzuki from her highchair.

"Good idea," Sasuke mumbled.

As their wives walked out of the room with their children, Sasuke and Naruto both turned serious eyes towards Kakashi**.** "What's this about Kakashi?" Naruto asked.

"Is it anything that will worry Sakura?" Sasuke chimed in.

Kakashi sighed, "I don't think it's anything really too concerning, more like…upsetting."

Sasuke's expression darkened. "This isn't about my daughter…is it?" he growled.

Kakashi tensed. "It…might be, but she isn't the only one who's involved either."

"What do you mean by that Kakashi?" Naruto asked.

"Eh…why don't we wait until Sakura and Hinata come back?" Kakashi suggested.

Sasuke felt his blood boil at the thought of Suzuki being involved with anything Kakashi deemed upsetting, and suddenly he felt his stomach drop as a certain group came to mind**.** "It wouldn't happen to be about the Council would it?"

Kakashi visibly stiffened and Sasuke's eyes slowly turned red**.** "What do they want with my daughter?" he snarled.

"Now calm down Sasuke, don't go jumping to conclusions. The Elders don't want Suzuki; rather they have plans for her," Kakashi answered.

Just as Sasuke was about to say more, Hinata and Sakura walked back into the roomand immediately noticed the tension among the men. "What's going on Kakashi?" Sakura asked and she sat next to her husband, her green eyes visibly glowing with concern.

Kakashi hesitated for a moment before going on. "Tsunade and I have heard some word about Suzuki,and also about the Hyuuga boy Kenji, around the Hokage tower," he stated.

Sasuke glowered at the thought of Neji's son, Kenji Hyuuga, who was just as old as Hiro. He and Neji never got along since Sasuke's return to Konoha, and even now after nearly three years they still didn't get along. "Why would the elders be talking about Kenji and Suzuki?" Sakura asked.

"I'm not entirely sure, but my sources say that it has to do with the fact that they are both heirs to the two most powerful clans in Konoha. But the Elders are more concerned with the fact that Suzuki is the only Uchiha left, aside from you Sasuke," Kakashi explained.

"Why would they be concerned about that? I thought the old bastards didn't like the idea of Sakura and I having children to begin with," Sasuke spat.

Sakura's eyes lowered at the memory of her first pregnancy. After she had a miscarriage the Elders of the Council had called her and Sasuke to their office and expressed their concern of the two of them restoring the Uchiha Clan. They basically told the couple that they were better off not reproducing given Sasuke's infamous reputation amongst the Hidden Villages. As it was though, Sakura fell pregnant again with Suzuki and the Elders could do nothing about it.

"Well I bet they realized that they couldn't do anything to stop you two from having children eventually, but from what we've heard, with Suzuki's birth they're concerned about the Uchiha line. Who will inherit it from now on and such?" Kakashi said.

"So they're worried what will happen to the Uchiha bloodline after Sasuke dies?" Naruto asked, truly confused about the whole situation.

"Naturally it would be a topic of concern, given that Suzuki is the only heir and she's a girl," Kakashi stated.

"What's wrong with that?" the Uchiha couple asked, shooting warning glares at Kakashi.

"Nothing, nothing," Kakashi defended, putting his hands up. "Look I have nothing against your family, and frankly I'm very fond of Suzuki myself, I'm only telling you two what I know and what I've heard."

"What does Kenji-chan have to do with this though?" Hinata asked quietly.

"Apparently it seems that Kenji will be the sole heir to the Hyuuga Clan, since he's a boy**,**" Kakashi answered.

"What about Kaoru-chan?" Hinata questioned as she thought of her niece, who was four-years-old and Neji and Tenten's first child.

"Well when Kaoru was born, the Elders had the same concern about her as they do now about Suzuki, but once Kenji was born, they weren't concerned. They forced Hiashi and Neji to claim Kenji as the legitimate heir to the Hyuuga Clan, since Hinata and Hanabi married outside the Hyuuga clan. Technically Hiro and Yuriko are considered Uzumaki's since they take after Naruto, but are acknowledged by the Hyuuga clan because of their blood," Kakashi explained.

Hinata and Naruto exchanged a quick glance**.** Their marriage was difficult**,** especially for Hiashi**,** since Hinata was supposed to marry within the clan and take over as head of the Hyuuga clan. But she refused to marry anyone but Naruto, especially when she fell pregnant with Hiro. Hanabi, Hinata's younger sister, was supposed to be next in line since Hinata wouldn't marry within the clan, but she too refused and practically eloped with her lover. Now Neji had taken his cousins place, but he only did so after Hiashi allowed him to marry Tenten. Reluctantly Hiashi agreed, but he had no choice. Now Kenji would take that place when he came of age instead of his elder sister.

"So basically the Elder's won't stop concerning themselves with our clan unless Sasuke and I have a son?" Sakura asked.

Kakashi nodded**.**

"Well they know that we can't have any more children, its impossible now," Sasuke commented, and Sakura grew stiff beside him.

The mention of them not being able to have any more children was still a sensitive topic for Sakura. A month after Suzuki was born; Sakura had to have a hysterectomy performed because of the loss of blood she was suffering even after Suzuki was born. Tsunade had told her that since her first pregnancy her body wouldn't be strong enough and it was a miracle Suzuki was born, but now even keeping her sore womb could've been potentially fatal to her health.

"I know," Kakashi sighed**.** "Which is why I don't completely understand why they bother to continue to worry about the issue. Suzuki's the only heir and there's nothing they can do about it. They can't solve it like they did for Neji and his son. I wish I knew all answers, but only time can tell from here on out what they are planning on doing about it."

"They won't be doing anything to my daughter as long as I'm alive." Sasuke's words dripped with venom as he spoke.

"Sasuke, I don't think they plan on doing anything to Suzuki, their just worried about what's to become of the clan," Sakura reasoned.

"My ass. They're up to something and I know it," he replied.

Kakashi sighed. "Only time will tell, all we can do is pray that it isn't anything drastic," he said with a huff.

* * *

><p><strong>-O-<strong>

"With that said, Kakashi and I can't be sure what the Council is thinking," Tsunade concluded as she sat before the Hyuuga couple.

Tenten hummed, deep in thought about what Tsunade had just told them about Suzuki and the Uchiha Clan bloodline. She turned to look at Neji, who was also deep in thought with his brows knitted together.

"I don't understand what the Uchiha's affairs have to do with my son," Neji hissed.

"Neji!" Tenten warned.

"I understand your frustration Hyuuga, but I don't completely understand this myself. Kakashi and I have been trying to piece together what it is Suzuki Uchiha and Kenji have in common for the Elders to be interested in**,**" Tsunade explained, returning her own glare to the Hyuuga patriarch.

"Well it better not be anything other than the fact that they're both the sole heirs to their clans**,**" Neji claimed, getting to his feet at the sound of his son crying from his playpen.

Neji smirked when he lifted his son from the pen, the toddler grinning from ear to ear as his pale brown eyes looked up at his father**.** "Daddy!" the boy exclaimed and wrapped his arms around his father's neck.

"My son shouldn't be involved with the Uchiha girl unless it has something to do with them being assigned to the same mission when they become shinobi, but we have several years before that happens," Neji confirmed.

"Neji come on, just because the elders are talking about Suzuki-chan and Kenji doesn't mean they're planning a conspiracy against us!" Tenten defended.

Neji scoffed, "Tenten you know how notorious the Council is for mixing up everybody's lives. Look at what they did to Kaoru, _she_ was supposed to be the heir to the Hyuuga bloodline, but just because she's a girl they replaced her with her own brother," he pointed out. "Who knows what they could be planning between the Uchiha girl and our son."

Tenten sighed. "You know she has a name too, just like our children. Her name is Suzuki, so please stop referring her as the Uchiha girl," she scolded, Tsunade nodding in agreement.

"Suski?" Kenji mumbled, tugging on a lock of his father's hair to get his attention.

Neji faced his son and sighed. "Yes Kenji-chan, Suzuki," he whispered.

"Whatever the case may be, all we can do is pray that whatever they're thinking isn't anything too drastic," Tsunade said.

* * *

><p><strong>-O-<strong>

Later that night Sasuke lay in bed, staring at the ceiling as he thought about what Kakashi had told him earlier about what the Elders were talking about Suzuki and Neji's son. It bothered him at just the thought of the Elders mentioning Suzuki's name with the Hyuuga boy's name. He wanted Suzuki to have nothing to do with Neji or his son; truly he didn't care if Kaoru and Suzuki became friends, but the thought of his only daughter befriending a male– other than Hiro—infuriated him.

"What are you thinking about?" Sakura asked as she slid into bed next to her husband, resting her head on his shoulder as she embraced his arm.

"Suzuki," he answered, causing Sakura to chuckle.

"Of course you are, you always think about her don't you?" Sakura asked, tracing lazy circles on his shoulder.

Sasuke smirked and turned to look at his wife. "I don't only think about her Sak, I think about you too," he stated, leaning over to place a chaste kiss on her lips.

Sakura smiled. "What are you thinking about now?" she asked teasingly, biting on her bottom lip.

"I'm thinking about kissing you again," he replied, leaning over once again, but this time placing a deeper kiss on her lips.

Sakura smirked on his lips. "Now?" she whispered against his lips.

Sasuke smirked and hovered over his wife, placing his hands on the bed on either side of her head, "Sakura…"he whispered, his lips barely touching hers before kissing her again.

Sakura giggled and entangled her fingers in his raven locks. "Sasuke-kun…"she breathed as she kissed her husband back.

Sasuke groaned as she tugged on the hair at the nape of his neck, it had been a while since she moaned his name like that, what with taking care of Suzuki night after night. "Do you think we'll have a chance to tonight?" Sakura whispered.

Sasuke smirked. "Let's find out," he replied, kissing her once more.

Alas just as he began to run a hand down his wife's side, his ears piqued as he heard the beginnings of a cry working its way from Suzuki in the room next to theirs. He stopped his movements and Sakura sighed. "How do you manage to hear her even before she has a chance to cry?" she asked.

Sasuke smirked and kissed his wife one last time before getting off from atop her. "My daddy senses must be tingling," he chuckled as he began to walk away.

"Sasuke."

"Yeah?"

"You're a total closet cheese ball."

"I know."

Sakura giggled and sighed again as she watched her husband leave the room to tend to her daughter. There must be a great deal of good in her husband, she mused, for him to love a child so much.

-O-

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Whoa…..twelve pages single spaced…..I BETTER GET SOME REVIEWS FOR ALL MY HARD LABOR! –COUGHS HORRIBLY- Ugh….anyway….a HUGE thanks to my editor Whispering-Willow08, without her constant pushing and scolding I wouldn't have gotten this done with the free time I got with being sick…soo UPDATE SHALL BE SOON~! **


	4. The Law of the Clan

**A/N: Soooo….here I am again with another marvelous update, I do believe that this story is starting to get interesting, wouldn't you agree? Some of you readers are trying to predict the future huh? Think you got it all figured out hmm? Well you have no idea! Also I apologize for the long wait! I have officially graduated from High School as of last week! I am a college student now! Woot! Lol anyway Enjoy! :D**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of Masashi Kishimoto's characters or his plot at all! All rights to his characters mentioned in this story are rightfully reserved to him! I merely just created Suzuki and Kenji and the whole plot for this story!**

* * *

><p><strong>-O-<strong>

_**A Fathers Bonds**_

_**Chapter four- The Law of the Clan**_

'_**The father of a daughter is nothing but a high-class hostage. A father turns a stony face to his sons, berates them, shakes his antlers, paws the ground, snorts, runs them off into the underbrush, but when his daughter puts her arm over his shoulder and says, "Daddy, I need to ask you something," he is a pat of butter in a hot frying pan.'**_

_**~ Garrison Keillor**_

_**-O-**_

Sasuke sighed heavily as he kicked the door before him open with his foot, an aggravated scowl present on his handsome features as he glanced at the blonde Hokage around the stacks of papers in his arms.

"Mind helping me out here dobe?" he growled, irritated.

Naruto whined, "I don't wanna temeeeeeeeeeee!"

The Uchiha scoffed and shoved the papers on his desk, "Will you grow up Naruto, you asked for the job, so do it!" he scolded.

It was approximately three and a half years since Naruto became the new Hokage of Konohagakure, and the blonde found that there was no better man to be his 'secretary' than his trusted Uchiha brother. However when Sasuke took the job, finding that it would benefit his family, he found that he was doing much of the dirty work for the procrastinating blonde Hokage. Sakura affectionately referred to him as the Shadow Hokage, a nickname that Suzuki picked up in her ever growing language and after she picked it up it spread throughout the village. Sasuke found that the nickname couldn't have rang truer since he fetched all of the papers and documents Naruto needed to draw up or sign, and there were times that he himself had to do it because Naruto had left everything to the last minute. Now after nearly four years, Sasuke was growing tired of it.

"Geez you don't hafta be so mean teme," Naruto grumbled under his breath, a pout set on his lips.

Sasuke crossed his hands over his chest, "Naruto who's the one who's been helping you all along with this job? I didn't sign up for this, you're the Hokage, not me," he spat.

Naruto waved his hand nonchalantly, "Yeah yeah I know, you took the job so Sakura wouldn't have to give up her hours at the hospital and you could take care of Suzuki more," he replied and then smirked, "How is she by the way?"

Sasuke sighed and sat in the seat placed before Naruto's desk, "She's fine, getting bigger every day," he replied, a bit bitterly.

His words were true, the toddler was growing quickly much to his dismay, and Sasuke found that he was still stuck at the stage when Suzuki required constant attention when it came to feeding and diaper changing. Now the young Uchiha was growing independent, as much as he hated to admit it, and she knew how to feed herself and was even potty trained now. Her fourth birthday was just around the corner, and Sasuke could hardly believe that the little delicate newborn he would hold night after night was turning four.

Naruto noticed the melancholy that passed over Sasuke and smiled, "Don't worry teme, you still have a while before she outgrows you completely," he teased.

The Uchiha threw him his infamous glare, "Shut up dobe, she'll never outgrow me," he declared.

Naruto laughed, "Hey, I was only kidding, and I know how you feel teme! I'm in the same boat with Yuri-chan…she's my little girl and she's already calling me Dad instead of Daddy," he sniffed, "It nearly killed me when she called me 'Dad' for the first time," he remarked dramatically.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and grabbed the arms of the chair, pulling himself out of the chair, "I'm leaving, try to at least get half of that stack signed and sent off," he said as he left the room.

Before he could hear Naruto's whines in protest, he was out of the room, leaving the blonde with a foot high stack of paperwork. Sighing, Naruto rested his chin into his palm, "That bastard…he doesn't want to admit it but he's grown soft because of Suzuki," he chuckled.

* * *

><p>-O-<p>

Suzuki bit her thumb as her large round eyes stared a few feet above her head, her dark hazel eyes were surveying a painted Uchiha crest on the compounds walls, a huge crack centered right in the middle of the crest. Her free hand was twirling a strand of her violet-raven hair around her index finger and her small foot was twisting into the dirt. Sakura stood several feet behind her from the front porch of the main household of the Uchiha compound, smiling as she watched her daughter stare at that crack as if she were watching her favorite TV show.

"Suzuki-hime, Daddy will be home soon, how about we prepare dinner for him?" Sakura asked softly.

Suzuki only shook her head, biting onto her thumb harder and stopping the twirling of her hair. Sakura raised a brow at this, "Suzuki-hime, come on sweetie, don't you want to get ready for dinner?" she asked.

"No," the toddler's voice rang as clear as a gentle bell.

Sakura's brows furrowed and she stepped down from the front porch, walking over to her daughter. She dropped to her level, staring at the Uchiha crest along with Suzuki. After a few moments of silence passed she noticed the tears gathering at the Uchiha heiresses eyes. Concerned, she turned the toddler to face her, placing her hands on her daughter's hips.

"What's the matter hime, why are you crying?" Sakura asked gently.

The toddler wiped at her eyes with the back of her hand and pointed at the crack in the wall, "Someone broke Daddy's back!" she whimpered.

Confused, Sakura looked up at the crack engraved in the Uchiha crest painted on the wall and then looked back at Suzuki, "What do you mean hime?" she asked.

"Mommy, the crest, it's broken, someone broke it!" Suzuki cried again.

"What's going on?" Sasuke's voice broke the silence between the two, his dark eyes shadowed in concern.

"Oh, Daddy!" Suzuki cried, running over to her father and grabbing hold of his leg.

Sasuke picked her up from the ground, placing a comforting hand on her small back as she clung to his neck, his shirt dampening with her tears. He looked to Sakura, who had placed a hand on the crack in the wall.

"What's going on Sakura?" he asked, soothing his crying daughter in his arms.

"She was staring at this crest, and at the crack in it, and then she just started crying saying someone broke it," Sakura replied.

Furrowing his brows her turned his attention on Suzuki, who was still sobbing in his shoulder, "Hime, tell me what's wrong," he whispered, patting her back.

Sniffling Suzuki pulled back and wiped her eyes before meeting his gaze, "Someone broke your back," she mumbled, pointing back at the cracked Uchiha crest.

Sasuke surveyed the crack in the wall, a memory of his older brother passing over his thoughts as he did, sighing he placed Suzuki down on her feet still holding her sides, "Suzuki, no one broke my back," he reasoned, "It's just a picture,"

Suzuki threw her father a quick glare before reaching a hand out to touch his shoulder blade, stretching to try and reach his back, "Someone broke your back daddy," she repeated again.

"Oh she must be talking about the crest on your back," Sakura said.

"Yeah but why is that bothering her so much?" Sasuke asked.

"Nobody hurt my daddy, nobody," Suzuki whispered softly, starting to caress Sasuke's shoulder.

Sasuke smirked, "She's worried about you Sasuke," Sakura said disbelievingly.

Suzuki nodded, "Yeah, Suzuki-hime is worried about Daddy," she confirmed.

Sasuke pulled his daughter into a tight embrace, "You don't need to worry about me, hime, I'm alright. No one is going to break my back, ok?"

Suzuki nodded into his neck and he pulled back slightly to place a kiss on her forehead, "How about a smile?" he asked gently.

Suzuki grinned and giggled, hugging her father tightly in her small arms.

* * *

><p>-O-<p>

"I knew I saw this coming," Kakashi hissed as he walked alongside Tsunade and Naruto.

Tsunade scowled, "We both did, but do you honestly think that these men are just going to smile and nod at the decision? This is Ludacris! They're going to blow a gasket when they hear the word 'marriage' in the same sentence as their children," she spat.

Kakashi sighed heavily, "This will not end well, I can already feel the raw intensity emitting from those two just being in the same room together," he mumbled before knocking on the Council room door.

Naruto simply looked down at his feet, "Knowing the teme and Neji…it'll be a miracle that those two don't try to strangle the other," he remarked sadly.

Tsunade scoffed and the three waited for an acknowledgment before entering the room. The atmosphere was nearly suffocating as Uchiha and Hyuuga sat on either side of each other, their wives dividing them.

"Well well well, isn't this a pleasant surprise?" Kakashi asked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Hn," Sasuke scoffed at the same time Neji simply glared down the masked man.

Sakura and Tenten merely just exchanged worried glances before exchanging the same worried looks to the three who just entered. Naruto only smiled sympathetically and sat next to Sakura, followed by Kakashi and Tsunade as well.

One of the Elder councilmen, by the name of Homura Mitokado, cleared his throat, "Now that we are all here, I would like to bring up the matter at hand," he announced before turning his attention to the Uchiha set.

"Lord and Lady Uchiha here have miraculously produced an heir for the future of the Uchiha clan," he began, then turned to the Hyuuga set, "Luckily we were able to set an heir for the Hyuuga clan as well. Now both these children have the potential to the betterment of our village. Both of them have showed extreme intelligence and promise for their bloodlines, the only problem here is the Uchiha heir is a female, therefore unable to awaken her kekkei genkei," the older man explained.

Sasuke grimaced, "We know this to be true already, no female has ever been able to awaken Sharingan, but what relevance does this have to this case?" Tsunade asked, Sakura nodding next to her.

"Though it is true she will not awaken Sharingan, it is still in her bloodline, therefore if she were to bear a son, he would possess it," Homura explained.

Sasuke cringed at the thought, "My daughter isn't even four yet, why are we discussing this!" he hissed.

"And what does this have to do with my son?" Neji asked suspiciously, his arms crossing over his chest.

"Right then," Homura cleared his throat, "The rest of the Council and I have deemed the Uchiha clan unstable,"

"What!" Sasuke yelled, almost lurching from his seat.

Sakura placed a hand on his knee, trying to calm him, "Why?" she asked, trying to stay calm as well.

"Because she cannot carry on the name Uchiha, therefore the name will die but Sharingan will live on, we would like to try and stay as close to the origin as possible, am I right?" Homura asked, looking Sasuke sternly in the eye.

Sasuke scowled, "And how do you plan on doing that?" he remarked.

"We have come up with a solution which involves the Hyuuga clan, and it regards both of your clans heir's," Homura began, "It is rumored that Sharingan originated from Byakugan, but after doing extensive research on both the Uchiha and Hyuuga origins, we discovered that both kekkei genkei's originated from the three great dojutsu,"

"Dojutsu?" Sakura and Tsunade asked in unison.

"The three great dojutsu?" Sasuke asked.

"Dojutsu is genetic eye technique, it developed from regular kekkei genkei, but this specifically revolves around ocular powers like the Sharingan and Byakugan that grant the user special abilities. Apparently there are more out there, but they're extremely rare to see now a days," Sakura explained.

Before Sasuke or Neji could register her explanation however, Tsunade groaned, "Oh don't tell me you're planning on trying _that_!" she cried.

"What're you talking about?" Sasuke asked.

But before Tsunade could throw another accusation Homura scowled and cleared his throat, "Due to the instability of the Uchiha Clan we—the Elders of the Council—have arranged a marriage between Suzuki Uchiha and Kenji Hyuuga," he announced, the other Elders behind him nodding in agreement.

"WHAT!" Neji and Sasuke screamed in unison, jumping to their feet as their wives remained stunned in their seats.

"You have got to be joking!" Sasuke hissed.

"We are perfectly serious about this decision; we believe it to be for the betterment of Konohagakure to join the two powerful bloodlines our village has to offer," Homura explained.

"That's impossible; the powers of the Byakugan cannot be mixed with Sharingan!" Neji cried.

"Actually, we have reason to believe that long ago there was a child born out of wedlock descending from both the Hyuuga and Uchiha Clan," Homura went on, "We happened to go through the records of both Clans and found that a male from the Uchiha Clan and a female from the Hyuuga Clan were disowned and banished from the village. It is believed they bore a child named Ranmaru, but were murdered by missing nins from the Mist village,"

"Ranmaru…." Tenten asked, "You mean the little boy who was partnered with Raiga?"

"The boy with the glowing red eyes…"Neji said cautiously.

"Yeah I remember that kid!" Naruto exclaimed.

"What are you guys talking about?" Sakura asked, thoroughly confused.

"Back when we were still genin we were assigned to a mission to find Raiga, leader of the Kurosuki family, who were believed to be part of the Seven Ninja Swordsmen of the Mist. It was one of our missions in the attempt to retrieve the Uchiha from Orochimaru," Neji explained, adding venom to the mention of Sasuke.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, "So what about this boy, his parents were Hyuuga and Uchiha?" Sakura asked.

Homura nodded, "Back in those days it was forbidden to marry outside ones Clan, in order to keep the bloodlines pure, but as you already know that Law was abolished after the fact. We have reason to believe that the special and rare dojutsu Ranmaru possessed was a combination of Sharingan and Byakugan, however he couldn't have reached his full potential due to the fact that no one knew of such power," he explained.

"So how does Ranmaru's kekkei genkei have to do with Kenji and…Suzuki…."Sakura began but trailed off at the end as realization began to hit her.

"Oh my God don't tell me you're planning on using our children as your guinea pigs!" Tenten cried, jumping to her feet.

"We have no such intention; we believe that any child born with this bloodline would lead to a more powerful kekkei genkei within Konoha, imagine if such a child became a shinobi and awakened the dojutsu to its full potential," Homura explained, trying to reason with the parents.

"But to force my daughter into a loveless marriage just to procreate; I refuse to subject my daughter to that kind of life!" Sakura screamed, lurching to her feet.

"I agree my son has a right to chose who he gets to spend the rest of his life with. If he is to be married to Suzuki, it should be out of love and not a….arrangement!" Tenten added, standing at Sakura's side.

Homura frowned before clearing his throat again; folding his hands behind his back he stuck his chin out and said, "I'm afraid you don't have any choice."

"The hell we don't!" Sasuke growled, standing from his seat.

"What rights have you to tell us that our children have to be married," Neji asked, glaring as he stood.

"We have every right, this is part of an ancient law amongst the clan," Homura defended.

"That's bull!" Naruto growled.

"Naruto!" Tsunade hissed.

"Lady Tsunade please tell me this isn't true," Sakura pleaded, turning to her mentor.

Tsunade sighed heavily before throwing a heated glare at the Elders, "I'm afraid it is, back when the Clans were established in Konoha; when the Senju, Hyuuga, and Uchiha were divided, the clan leaders gathered and created a series of laws," she started.

"And one of those laws stated clearly that in a case of no male heir to carry on the bloodline, the female heiress would marry into another clan similar to hers. Since Byakugan and Sharingan both originated from the same source, we have arranged a solution for the Uchiha clan," Homura finished.

"No."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," Sasuke growled, "I will not allow my daughter to be tied down like this, if the bloodline dies with us then it does, isn't that what you old bastards wanted to begin with when you sent my brother to slaughter the Uchiha Clan!" he spat, his voice rising into a scream at the end.

"Sasuke, please," Sakura pleaded, holding onto Sasuke's arm to try and calm him down.

"May we remind you, Uchiha that you are here in this village under loyalty terms? Need we remind you of the treasons you have been convicted for against Konoha? The convictions we lifted for you?" the Elder reminded, growling back at Sasuke

Sasuke's hands balled into tight fists, his knuckles growing white.

"Sasuke-kun, please, we'll figure this out later…" Sakura whispered in his ear.

"It would be a shame for that child to grow up without a father, knowing the crimes he committed against his own home," Homura continued, glowering.

"That's enough!" all heads turned to look at the source of the yell, Naruto. "I've had enough hearing you insult my friend! Threatening him like this is only making matters worse, for all of us! I thought you wanted to make this as peaceful as possible? Opening up old wounds and threatening him to do what you want is low even for you!" he shouted.

The council members all scowled at his words, one councilwoman; Koharu Utatane, stood up after a few moments of silence following Naruto's words, "We had no intention to threaten you, Sasuke Uchiha, or force your children into a messy marriage, we merely called you here to inform you all that since there is no male Uchiha heir, we have come up with a more suitable arrangement for the betterment of the Uchiha Clan," she paused, "But clearly this news is very upsetting we will compromise."

"Compromise?" Sasuke and Neji asked in unison.

"If you two, as clan leaders, can come up with another solution regarding your Clans, we will take it into consideration and consider all the possible options. You must understand that we cannot simply ignore the fact that the Uchiha Clan bloodline is at risk of dying out. The past is the past, and we are putting it behind us as of now. Understood?" Koharu explained.

Sasuke, having calmed by now, nodded with a scowl present on his face. Neji sighed heavily and nodded in agreement as well.

* * *

><p>-O-<p>

"Mine!"

"Share!"

"No! Mine!"

Five year old Kenji scowled, narrowing his eyes at the Uchiha heiress into a heated glare, "Come on Suzuki, share with me!" he tried reasoning, reaching for the toy she was holding again.

Suzuki shrieked. "No! Auntie Ino!" she cried.

Kenji growled and folded his arms across his chest as Ino came into the room, her daughter Inoyoshi trailing behind her, "What's wrong Su-chan?" she asked.

"Kenji is taking my toy!" Suzuki cried, pointing an accusing finger at the Hyuuga boy.

"I am not! I just wanted to play with it too!" Kenji defended.

Ino sighed and kneeled before Suzuki, meeting her at her height level, "Listen Su, Kenji just wants to see your toy okay? Just let him hold it for a while!" she reasoned, smiling.

Suzuki pouted and practically threw the small toy at Kenji, who caught it carefully in his hands.

"Suzuki! That isn't very nice, apologize to Kenji!" Ino scolded.

Suzuki crossed her arms over her chest and stamped her small foot. "No! He's mean!" she cried.

"Suzuki…" Ino warned, "Do you want me to tell your daddy how you've been behaving?" she questioned.

Suzuki's eyes widened at the mention of her father and she scowled before turning back to Kenji, "I'm sorry…" she mumbled.

"Hn," Kenji grunted before looking the other way.

"Good," Ino said, getting to her feet. "Now Inoyoshi, keep an eye on the both of them while I go start on lunch, ok?"

The brunette girl grinned and fake saluted her mother, "Yes mommy!"

After Ino left the room, the five year old Inoyoshi grinned at Kenji and batted her long eyelashes at the Hyuuga boy, "Hi Kenji," she addressed in a flirty voice.

Kenji nearly rolled his eyes and grumbled, "Hi Inoyoshi," still examining the toy in his hands.

"Suzuki is such a brat isn't she?" Inoyoshi taunted, throwing Suzuki a dirty look.

Suzuki stood shocked then set her pouting lips into a frown. "I am not a brat!" she defended, her small hands balling into little fists at her side.

"Sure ya are! Your daddy spoils you rotten, that's what my mommy says!" Inoyoshi continued, placing her hands on her hips.

Suzuki sniffed, fighting back tears, Kenji felt a twinge of guilt and walked over to Suzuki, handing back her toy, "Don't cry Suzuki-chan….I'm sorry," he mumbled.

Suzuki smiled and took her toy gratefully, "Thank you Kenji-kun," she mumbled gratefully and blushed faintly.

Kenji looked away embarrassed and Inoyoshi huffed in jealousy before marching up to Suzuki and pushing her down roughly to fall on her bottom. Suzuki fell with an 'oomph!' and looked up at Inoyoshi with wide eyes.

"Stay away from Kenji you brat!" Inoyoshi yelled, looking down at Suzuki with her hands on her hips.

"Inoyoshi that isn't nice!" Kenji yelled, then turned to help Suzuki to her feet, but froze in place once he saw her face.

"Humph! Whatever!" Inoyoshi huffed, then looked at Suzuki to glare at her, but also froze at the sight of Suzuki's eyes.

After a moment of tense silence, Sai walked into the living room to check up on the children. "What's going on –"he froze and with wide eyes yelled, "Ino get in here!"

"What! I'm busy making lunch for these kids!" Ino yelled, but upon entering the room she gasped, "Oh my God! Suzuki!"

Suzuki sat with her brows knitted together in the ever so infamous Uchiha glare, with sharingan blazing in her eyes.

-O-

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Dun dun DUN! Teehee! Soooooo…..did you enjoy it my faithful readers? If so review! And an update will follow soon! I will be going on vacation though from June 16****th**** – June 24****th****, but I promise I'll work on a rough draft if at all possible! See you all then! :D Also thanks once again to my faithful reader, editor, and friend Whispering-Willow08! She has a great story (ies) out called Their Fate and Harmony! They are excellent and I highly recommend reading it! Notice that her story and I are eerily similar but that's okay! We wrote them without realizing that the other existed! Great minds think alike I suppose! Unfortunately we are twins that have been mutated to look different by aliens and separated at birth! But lo and behold they could not stop us from writing! –clears throat- anyway….go read her story! :D **

**ALSO! All sources I mentioned regarding Ranmaru, the dojutsu,the fact that no female Uchiha cant use sharingan (I was shocked when I read that! XD) and the elder names all came from Narutopedia! None of that was my own! Except that Ranmaru's parents were Hyuuga's and Uchiha…that I made up! All other sources belong to Masashi Kishimoto!**


	5. WARNING: NOT AN UPDATE

_**Hey guys, I know you have all been anxiously awaiting an update for this, and I'm REALLY sorry for leaving you guys hanging for a little over a year. I started college and let me tell you, I had a HUGE reality check. So the past year has been very eventful and just recently I've been adjusting this story a little bit. To answer any questions thus far, no, I am not going to continue this story. *squeaks when a few tomatoes and bottles are thrown from the audience* HEY LET ME FINISH, GEEZ!**_

___**Ahem...anyway, before you all send me hate and flames and all that, I WILL be continuing this story in the new story I put up early called The Gaurdian. That story is pretty much just like this one, all my characters will be in it (minus a few thanks to Masashi Kishimoto killing off a certain someone...) and the plot will only have a few minor tweaks. It's pretty similar and you won't be able to tell the difference, so if you enjoyed this one and loved this one, please go to my profile and read The Gaurdian (the remake of AFB) **_

___**See you all over there~! **__  
><em>**_LML10_**


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